Kellam Conover
A full-time lawyer (42) who conquered 30lbs of COVID-related weight loss to reach his goals of back squatting 275lbs and summiting 2 South American peaks within 1 year.
“Nick is a revelation: a trainer who gets amazing AND sustainable results. With his deep expertise and a powerlifting background, he takes a functional, smart approach that makes people super strong without sacrificing joint health. I only trained lower body with Nick, but the results were dramatic and immediate. Squatting no longer felt dangerous (uncertain knees, tight hips). Rather, by having me prime my joints before squatting and making sure I had terrific form, Nick made sure my body always felt grounded and strong. With Nick, I shattered longstanding PRs, have never felt stronger (I'm 42), and now have bulletproof knees and hips for the first time in my life. If you love working out and want to get stronger without risking injury, I can't recommend Nick enough.”
Natalie Monroe
An ultramarathoner who surmounted hip, knee, and ankle challenges to successfully complete her first 50-mile race.
“I came to Nick as I was gearing up to train for my first 50 mile trail ultramarathon. I had completed a couple of 50ks in the year prior and knew I had areas of discomfort and injury risk that needed to be addressed. I also wanted to improve my pace and consistency. I have a history that causes issues every now and then — a herniated disc, some imbalances stemming from a broken foot years back, etc. I also had noticed a consistent pattern where I tended to have hip flexor and knee pain on any run that exceeded 18-20 miles. Nick did a thorough intake, going over all of this history along with my goals for my upcoming race. The training plan that Nick produced for me was easy to follow, fun to do, and easy to incorporate into my training schedule, even as running volume increased. I had a successful 50 mile race, completing the distance with no sign of any back, hip, or knee pain or tightness. I felt strong and able to stick to my race plan. It felt incredible to run that distance without my once-typical issues cropping up. I am going to continue to train with Nick as I look towards running more ultras in the future. I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish together!”
Sarah Parkinson
A professor who overcame severe knee pain in only 12 weeks before summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro.
“I had just turned 37, spent most of my time working at a desk, it was February, and I had just booked an 8-day Mount Kilimanjaro climb for July. I had long-term knee pain and my upper body strength wasn’t great. I could spend all the time I wanted on the stair climber with a loaded pack, but I realized after 6 weeks of self-directed training that I needed both targeted workouts for certain muscle groups and a coach who could work me through an overall plan that would get me up the mountain while keeping me safe and injury-free. I wanted someone who was focused on my strength, mobility, and long-term wellness, not someone who was going to do warmed-over Crossfit or Pilates and then tell me to jump on a treadmill for cardio. Nick has certifications in the skills that mattered to me; strength training, recovery, movement/mobility. When I said I didn’t care about or want to discuss aesthetic and when I discussed past injuries, he listened.
I noticed how quickly I felt stronger and feeling how my body moved differently. I could do things I couldn’t do before and I could do them without pain, which was psychologically huge for me. I work at a computer all day, I have old injuries, I’m hypermobile, and I’m susceptible to migraines. I can get up and move around, but it’s not like eight to ten hours at a desk won’t have an impact on my wellness. I was sitting straighter. I had more energy. My body did visibly change shape. My mentality towards going to the gym (rather than just hiking with friends for fitness) changed when I felt the work I was doing was paying off.
I did summit Kilimanjaro! It’s worth noting that out of five people in the group, only two summited, which I’m told is statistically quite usual. Why? Because even fit people do the climb—often deceptively referred to as a ‘walk-up’—too fast and focus their training entirely on cardio rather than strength, mobility, and recovery. The work I did with Nick meant that my core and upper body handled the pack well, that I wasn’t irritating old injuries, and that I could sleep well at night at altitude because I wasn’t in pain. Overall, my body felt like everything was working in sync. But, there are also everyday results. I sleep better, I get fewer migraines, my knee shear issues have improved. I can take long plane rides without spending half a day in bed or throwing back a bunch of painkillers afterwards. I got to the point where I was comfortably deadlifting 175, which felt like a pretty big accomplishment for a woman entering middle age.”
Brian Griffin
A competitive powerlifter in his late 30s who, despite grappling with multiple injuries, cultivated resilience to achieve a 496lb Squat, a 325lb Bench, and a 575lb Deadlift.
“I have been lifting most of my adult life. I found powerlifting in my mid-30s and have never looked back. But like most people pushing themselves in the gym, range of motion limitations and low-level joint pain became an issue over time. My relationship with Nick began the day he saw me squatting with a cambered bar and asked why I used that instead of a straight bar. After a few weeks of working with Nick, my shoulder mobility and movement mechanics had improved immensely. Since then, Nick has guided me through dozens of training blocks under a variety of different situations. Whether my goal was movement quality, fat loss, hypertrophy, or peaking my strength for a powerlifting meet, Nick's programming addressed all my needs. His programs are a great combination of pushing me and enabling growth and improved skill while managing recovery. Even during COVID lockdown Nick was able to think of creative training strategies that kept me in shape and in fact making progress using nothing but bands, a couple of dumbbells, and ordinary household items. Since working with Nick, my body composition, strength levels, and movement quality have all improved. I would recommend training with Nick to anyone who is looking to get the most out of their time in the gym.”
Sydney White
A lawyer on Capitol Hill who overcame elbow pain and sciatica, built a 300 lb hip thrust, and now feels better than in her 20s.
“Before training with Nick, I had periodic sciatic pain with no end in sight. I had to spend twice as much time working out to see far less results then after I began training with Nick. I was a varsity athlete in college and I often think of how I could have excelled even more if I had the level of mobility I have now as a result of Nick’s coaching.
I always hear people complaining about physical pain or nagging injuries that I used to be bothered by, but after training with Nick and consequently improving my mobility, I am reminded how fortunate I am to have him as a trainer.”
Tinbete Ermyas
A busy reporter who lost 70 lbs, built a 705 lb total in the big 3 lifts, and gained confidence in the weight room.
“Prior to training with Nick, my gym routine was sparse. I found fleeting moments of inspiration to go – maybe I wanted to drop a few pounds or kick off the New Year – but there was nothing sustained.
And when I did go, it was almost always cardio-focused. I almost never lifted seriously, largely out of intimidation.
Working with Nick has been empowering. You provide people with the tools and knowledge to get to where they need to be. You’re not just helping people learn an exercise or skill: You’re also helping them figure out the why of the exercise (why it’s an important skill, why it’s beneficial to your goals) so that they can place it in the broader context of your training.
With that knowledge, you’re able to excel in the gym even when Nick isn’t there. And to have that level of knowledge and skill on my own has been so great…and empowering!
I never thought I’d be strong. And one unexpected benefit that’s come as a result of training with Nick has been the confidence and sure-footedness that I’ve gained in the gym.
Training with Nick has given me a wealth of knowledge and skills to not only navigate the gym room floor with skill; it’s also given me a sense of where I can go if I can continue training with the tools Nick has provided.”